Norwegian royals experience life and culture of local tribes

There was a public engagement with a difference in store this week for Norway's Prince Haakon and Princess Mette-Marit. The royal couple swapped the luxury of their usual surroundings for the humble shelter of a laavt gaetie, the traditional tent of Scandinavia's indigenous Sami people. Inside, they reclined on animal skins and sipped tea with a family dressed in traditional costume.

The pair - who celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary at the weekend - were in Olderdalen, in one of the most northern parts of Norway, where they visited a cultural centre for the ethnic people of the region. The tiny settlement, which numbered just 512 inhabitants two years ago, lies in the shadow of dramatic Lyngen fjord.

As well as their fireside refreshment, Mette-Marit and her husband were also shown round a typical dwelling, which, with its rounded grass-covered walls and puffing chimney, was reminiscent of something out of The Lord Of The Rings.

The Sami people, who share a rich cultural heritage focused around mythology, folklore, crafts and art, have their own language which varies from tribe to tribe and traditionally make a living from reindeer herding. Today many lead modern lives in cities away from their traditional settlements, although every effort is made to keep their customs and traditions alive.